If you or someone you know loves to swim but then constantly complains about ear aches after each dive, it may be swimmers ear. If you believe that you or someone you know has swimmers ear, there will be symptoms to look for. The ear will become itchy or painful, very sensitive to any sound, unable to hear as clearly, while cleaning the ears with a Q-tip it will look white, discharge from the ear, sharp pain in the ear canal, or even the feel as if the ear is much heavier than usual.
If these are symptoms you have notice then you may in fact have swimmers ear. So how is this treated and what can you do from home?
Swimmers ear home remedy treatments are something you can try before heading to your doctor's office for treatment options. Placing a few drops of white vinegar in the ear can help with the irritation and pain that swimmers ear causes for most. Once these drops are placed in the ear, allow them to settle for five minutes or so and then turn the ear downwards onto a towel to drain the white vinegar out. Do one ear at a time two to three times a day. The white vinegar will help with the bacterial infection which may occur in many cases due to swimmers ear.
Home remedies for swimmers ear pain may also be as simple as using a blow dryer. If you catch swimmers ear just in time as it occurs you can softly sway a blow dryer back and forth over your ear to dry up any water which may have entered when swimming. This will ease the pain of the swimmers ear and remove the water which has entered the canal. You also can add salt into a sock and then place it in the microwave to warm it up. Place the sock against the ear facing downwards and it will help draw the water and moisture out of the ear into the sock.
The only way you can avoid swimmers ear all together would be to avoid going under as often or even wearing ear plugs. This can help with those who suffer from swimmers ear each year. It is one way you can avoid the pain and discomfort when it comes to swimmers ear all together.
Swimmers ear home remedy treatments may also be something your family has used for quite some time. Doctors may also prescribe home treatments to use before trying to suck out the water if the ear is not that bad. Home remedy for swimmers ear can help anyone, no matter the age but make sure to speak with a physician if you are dealing with a smaller toddler or infant to avoid other issues that could make the swimmers ear much more dangerous. Home remedies for swimmers ear pain will vary with each individual and their tolerance to pain. For some it may not be as bad if they are used to this but for those noticing this for the first time, it may be a pain you will always remember.
